Before the age of smartphones, anyone with a burning question either had to keep it to themselves or head to the library for an answer. The New York Public Library opened their “Ask NYPL” hotline for curious callers to pose their inquiries to a live librarian in 1967. Nearly five decades later, the service still handles over 30,000 calls a year. Great Big Story recently highlighted a few of the men and women who continue to act as human search engines for people who either don’t have access to technology or “just want somebody to talk to.” After watching the video above, you can check out even more odd questions the library has received over the years.
Images: Vimeo
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October 20, 2016 – 9:00am